Almost Routine
by Laurus Nobilis
Summary: TFA. As if searching for Megatron wasn't difficult enough on its own, Lugnut also has to deal with Blitzwing.


**Almost Routine**

This whole situation was getting increasingly annoying.

It was bad enough that they still couldn't find Megatron. Not that he doubted they _would_ find him, eventually. Failure was something that Lugnut did not even think about. He was sure – no, he _knew_ - that his leader was still out there, somewhere.

He just hadn't expected this whole thing to take so long. And he certainly did not appreciate all the detours. His task was difficult enough without Blitzwing finding a new excuse to get distracted every couple of cycles. Then again, how could he ask for concentration from someone who could barely fly in a straight line?

"What is it _now_?" he growled, landing next to his partner. Against everything he had expected, the triple-changer looked serious, his left optic extended as he examined the ground on the tiny asteroid where they'd ended up this time.

"There are tracks here. Someone else has been here recently…"

"Who cares? It has nothing to do with our mission. It could be anyone!"

"Anyone? Surely you must have noticed," Blitzwing pointed out, "that we are _in the middle of fragging NOWHERE_!"

"We cannot waste time with this nonsense!" Lugnut snapped back. He was more than used to the constant yelling matches by now. It was almost routine, but that didn't make it any less frustrating. "Our glorius leader awaits us! I shall not rest until I see Megatron rise again! We must move on and--"

"And waste the first half-decent clue we've seen in stellar cycles? I hardly think so," the triple-changer interrupted him. And then there was that _grin_ again, which was never ever a good sign. "Really, you need to learn how to improvise!"

Improvise. _Improvise_. The sheer thought made him shake with rage, and the worst part was that it _didn't_ surprise him to know that Blitzwing saw this whole thing as just a big game. That didn't mean he didn't deserve a good shove, however.

The other bot laughed as he tumbled, and when he regained balance, Lugnut could tell that he was still in an inexplicably good mood. His only reaction was an even wider grin, and… a playful slap to his arm?

"You're it!"

By the time Lugnut reacted, Blitzwing had already transformed and flown away.

"Come back here, you deranged protoform!" he yelled over the sound of that incredibly annoying laughter. Then he transformed and took off himself, even knowing full well that he was giving the triple-changer exactly what he wanted. How did he always manage to get dragged into this nonsense?

He'd believed things would be different, once, when they had first become separated from the rest of their team. After all, there couldn't be many distractions that way, could they? They had been almost always entirely alone since then, and even in those rare times where they met somebody else on their way, most people's reaction to Blitzwing was to back away slowly. And yet, Lugnut still hadn't managed to get his full attention for more than two cycles. He was beginning to think that no one - _nothing_ - could.

(Perhaps not even the cause itself, a part of him told him. But he would rather not think about that too much.)

It didn't take him long to catch up with his partner, even if he'd taken a bit long to react. Blitzwing was either showing off or completely out of control, and so Lugnut managed to tackle him to the ground in the middle of a particularly extravagant loop.

"Stop flying away like that!" he growled, still pinning him to the ground. Not only Blitzwing didn't fight back, but he seemed thoroughly amused by the situation.

"Ooooh, someone wants to keep me close!"

"Shut. _Up_."

"MAKE ME!"

Lugnut gave him a well-deserved hit over the head. It did its job quite well, even if Blitzwing's cold, pointed glare clearly stated that it wasn't at all what he'd had in mind. He couldn't care less, anyway. The last thing he wanted to do was _encourage_ him.

"_Well_? Are we leaving, or what?" the triple-changer asked as he straightened himself up. For a moment, Lugnut just stared.

"What about those tracks of yours?"

"Oh, that," he said, with a dismissive wave. "It could be anyone."

Sometimes (very, _very_ often) Lugnut wondered why did he put up with Blitzwing at all. But he was probably better off without thinking too much about _that_, either.


End file.
